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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24429367">Greasy Fingerprints</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/pearlydewdrop/pseuds/pearlydewdrop'>pearlydewdrop</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Her Socialist and His Suffragette [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Downton Abbey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, Dorks in Love, F/M, Forbidden Love, Season/Series 02, Secret Relationship, Sneaking Around, the maids know everything</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 07:47:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>547</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24429367</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/pearlydewdrop/pseuds/pearlydewdrop</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>He heard her before he saw her; swift footsteps and a pensive tone.</p><p>"I've always wondered how an engine worked."</p><p>(Set just after Sybil and Tom's failed elopement in  Season 2 Episode 8)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tom Branson/Sybil Crawley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Her Socialist and His Suffragette [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1398220</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Greasy Fingerprints</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p></p><div class="xcontrast">
  <p> </p>
  <p></p>
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    <p> </p>
    <p></p>
    <div>
      <p>
        <strong>Greasy Fingerprints and A Tumble in the Garage.</strong>
      </p>
      <p>He heard her before he saw her; swift footsteps and a pensive tone.</p>
      <p>"I've always wondered how an engine worked."</p>
      <p>Tom slid out from underneath the Renault, noting the matching dark circles beneath her eyes...a feature that they both shared—fruits of their reluctant return to Downton in the earlier hours of the morning.</p>
      <p>
        <em>They could have been married by now...</em>
      </p>
      <p>"I could show you if you'd like", Tom replied, smiling a little sadly as they fell so painfully easily back into the same familiar roles of the lady and the chauffeur.</p>
      <p>Sybil bit her lip, reaching across the space between them to intertwine their fingers—not caring in the slightest about the motor oil that was still smeared all over his hands from tinkering with the motor.</p>
      <p>Her touch silently reassured him—almost.</p>
      <p>"You know my leaving last night has changed nothing between us."</p>
      <p>Searching her face, Tom's eyebrows pulled together—the same mixture of disappointment, pain and frustration from the night before glinting in his eyes.</p>
      <p>"Does it not? Have your sisters not taken into you with a vengeance already? Convinced you that we're mad to even want to be together?"</p>
      <p>"Of course they have", Sybil returned with a frown, every bit as determined as she had been the night before. "...but I told you I would stay true to you, and I have no intention of breaking that promise. I refuse to give you up!"</p>
      <p>She placed both of her hands firmly on his cheeks, drawing her and Tom's bodies closer to one another. Slowly, he returned her affections and wrapped his arms around her waist.</p>
      <p>"Are you sure?"</p>
      <p>"I'm sure."</p>
      <p>Tom smiled softly, his heart swelling at her words—her conviction.</p>
      <p>Surely, together they'd make it through the trails ahead...Surely, together they would be fine.</p>
      <p>He made to cup Sybil face in return—remembering too late that his hands were filthy.</p>
      <p><em>'oh shite</em>...'</p>
      <p>He glanced down in embarrassment—seeing the dark brown grease stain that he had already unintentionally left upon blouse. "Oh feck, love", he cursed, withdrawing from her. "I'm sorry."</p>
      <p>Following his eyes to her own hip, Sybil burst out laughing and pulled Tom decidedly back towards her.</p>
      <p>"Well that's rather unfortunate", she replied with a giggle—already more than capable of imagining Anna's understandably quizzical expression when she would inevitably come across the offending garment.</p>
      <p>"Oh come off it, Tom. You hardly think I'd be put out by a bit of grease."</p>
      <p>He grinned goofily. "I s'ppose not."</p>
      <p>Looking rather pleased, Sybil let her hands trail upwards into Tom's hair. "Now will you, for goodness sake, kiss me?"</p>
      <p>Tom smirk teasingly as their mouths met. Pushing her lightly back against the workbench, he felt her smile rather smugly in return, eagerly nipping his bottom lip. "Bossy..."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>"Milday, did something...happen to you today?", Anna asked hesitantly, glancing across the bedroom-eyeing the house's youngest daughter in concern. She held up the soiled, once pristinely white, blouse for inspection.</p>
      <p>Sybil smiled silently in return, somehow managing to control the spread of her blush and keep the mischief out of her voice.</p>
      <p>"Oh don't you worry about me, Anna. I took a tumble in the garage when I was out ordering the motor."</p>
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